Sound chamber for accordions



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 D. A. ALBERICO SOUND CHAMBER FOR ACCORDIONS July 20,1954 Filed Feb. 23, 1951 July 20, 1954 Filed Feb. 25, 195] D. A.ALBERICO SOUND CHAMBER FOR ACCORDIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MMMMWUM 25 o o 40,29 o

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YaMf/wc fic 55H /c o Patented July 2o, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICESIOUND CHAMBER FOR ACCORDIONS Domenic A. Alberico, Omaha, Nebr.Application February 23, 1951, Serial No. 212,403

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to accordions, and more particularly to animproved sound chamber arrangement in a piano accordion.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved pianoaccordion which includes a sound chamber in which various tones of theaccordion are blended together, wherein the tone of the accordion issubstantially enriched, and wherein blended tones are produced,providing a deeper and more even tone than that which is provided by theaccordions of the prior art.

A further object of the invention is to provide an imprdved tone-mixingarrangement for a piano accordion, said arrangement involving relativelysimple parts, providing more efficient valving than is obtainable withaccordions of conventional construction, and providing greatly improvedclarity and richness of tone, as compared with the conventionalaccordion.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in cross-section,showing a portion of a piano accordion provided with an improved soundchamber arrangement in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional detail view taken on line 3 3of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan View of the top plate of the soundchamber portion of the accordion of Figure 1, showing the arrangement ofthe sound-outlet openings thereon;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional detail view taken on line 5 5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, generally designates a three-reed pianoaccordion having the playing keys I2 and the bellows I3. Designated atI4 and I5 are respective double-reed blocks mounted inside the bellowsenclosure, said reed blocks being provided with respective opposed setsof reeds I6, I'I and I8, |9. Designated at and 2| are respectiveadditional reed blocks provided with respective reeds 22 and 23.Designated at 24 is a channel-shaped housing member which may beconstructed of sheet aluminum or any other suitable rigid material, suchas plastic or the like, said channel member 24 being provided withmarginal flanges 25 which are secured to the top valve plate 26 of theaccordion. The plate 26 is secured to the side walls of the bellowsenclosure, as shown in Figure l. The double-reed blocks I4 and I5 aresecured to the opposite sides of the channel member 24 and therespective reed blocks 2|l and 2| are secured to the bottom wall of saidchannel member.

Secured centrally in the channel member 24 is a longitudinal partitionwall 2l, and secured transversely in the channel member are spacedpartition walls 28 disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinalpartition wall 2l and defining respective compartments 29 on oppositesides of the longitudinal partition wall. Each compartment 29 is inlateral registry with a pair of reeds I6 and Il on one side of thechannel member and each compartment 29 on the opposite side of thechannel member is in lateral registry with a pair of reeds I8 and I9.The respective compartments 29 on opposite sides of the partition wall 2are respectively in registry at their bottom portions with reeds 22 and2|. As shown in Figure l, the side walls of the channel member 24 areformed with apertures 30 and 3| transversely aligned with the respectivereeds I6 and Il, and

' on the opposite side of the channel member the wall is apertured at 32and 33 substantially in transverse registry with the reeds I8 and I9.The bottom wall of the channel member and each compartment 29 isapertured at 40 and 4| above the respective reeds 22 and 2|. Theapertures 30, 3| and 40 in the compartment 29 on one side of thelongitudinal partition wall 21 establish communication of thecompartment 29 with respective reeds I6, I1 and 22 at said one side. Theapertures 32, 33 and 4| at the other side of the longitudinal partitionwall establish communication for the compartment 29 on said oppositeside with the respective reeds I8, I9 and 23 adjacent thereto.

The valve plate 25 is apertured above each compartment 29, as shown at34. Designated at 35 are respective valves having face portions 3E, eachvalve being arranged over an aperture 34 and being connected to one ofthe keys by a connecting bar 3l. The valves 35 are operated in aconventional manner by the movement of the keys I2, the valve face 36 ofeach valve being lifted vertically away from its valve aperture 34responsive to the depression of its associated key.

In operation, as a valve 35 is lifted to open its sound-outlet aperture34, air is allowed to pass through all the reeds associated with thesound compartment 29 controlled by said valve. For example, if a valve35 cn the left side of the partition wall 21 is lifted, as viewed inFigure 1, air is allowed to actuate the reeds 22, Il and I6 and toproduce tones which travel in the form of sound vibrations through theapertures 40, 30 and 3l into the sound chamber 29. These vibrations areblended in said sound chamber and emerge from the top opening 34 in theform of a blended and enriched tone consisting of the combinedvibrations of the reeds I6, I1 and 22. Similarly, combinations of thetones of the reeds I8, I9 and 23 are produced in the mixing chambers 29on the right side of the partition wall 2, as viewed in Figure 1, andare sounded responsive to the liiting of a valve 35 on the right side ofsaid partition wall.

The reeds i3, Il and 22 on the Vleft side of the partition wall 2l' maybe employed for producing sharps and flats, and may be actuated by oneof the black keys on the keyboard of the accordion. The reeds I8, I9 and23, on the right side of the partition wall 2l, as viewed in Figure l,may be employed for producing natural tones, and may be actuated bythe'white keys of the keyboard.

The partition walls 2l and 28 may be oi any suitable material, such aswood or the like, or may be made integrally with the channel member 24,when said channel member is made oi molded material, such as plastic orthe like. The size of the chambers 29 may vary in accordance with thesize of the accordion and the number of the openings 38, 3|, di) and 32,33 and 4! may vary, and similarly, the number oi compartments 29 mayalso vary depending on the number of keys.

A suitable gasket 35 of soit leather or other suitable soft sheetmaterial is employed between the anges 25 of the elongated channelmember 24 and the valve plate 25.

It will be seen that for a three-reed accordion, each compartment 29 isformed with three apertures, such as 39, 3E and 58, or 32, 33 and lil,associated with three different reeds. in the case of a four-reedaccordion, the walls of each sound chamber 29 will be formed with fourapertures, associated respectively with four different reeds. Thecompartment 29 blends the vibrations produced by its associated reedsand allows said vibrations to emerge from its top valve opening 34,providing a single combined note of much greater volume, of deeper andmore even tone, and of substantially increased richness than thatproduced by a conventional accordion. Furthermore, by employing a singlevalve opening all to control the generation of a plurality of mixedtones, instead of employing separate valve openings for each tonecomponent, the possibility of air leaks at the key pads of the valveopenings is considerably reduced.

While a specific embodiment of an improved accordion construction hasbeen disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitationsbe placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In an accordion having a multiplicity of vibratory reeds, a platemember having a plurality of sound outlet openings, a channel shapedhousing member defining a plurality of compartments beneath said platemember, each of said sound outlet openingsV communicating solely with anopening formed in the portion ofthe top wall of said channel membercontiguous to each of said compartments, the side. walls of saidAchannel member being formed with a plurality of sound inlet openings,the openings in the side walls contiguous to each compartment being incommunication therewith, a plurality of reed blocks arranged exteriorlyof and along each of the side walls of said channel member, each of saidreed blocks having a multiplicity of reed chambers therein, at least onereed mounted on each of said reed chambers, each of said reed chambersbeing in communication with one of the sound inlet openings in thesidewall of said channel member, whereby sounds generated by a pluralityci the reeds in response to action oi the accordion bellows will passinto each of the compartments, and whereby diierent sounds fromrespective reeds entering a compartment will be mixed therein, and aplurality of movable valves disposed on said plate member, each valvehaving a face portion confronting one of the sound outlet openings inthe plate member.

2. In an accordion having a multiplicity of vibratoryy reeds, a platemember having a plurality of sound outlet openings, an elongated channelmember secured beneath said plate member, means in said channel memberdefining a plurality of compartments, each of said sound outlet openingscommunicating solely with an opening formed in the portion of the topwall of said channel member contiguous to each oi said compartments, theside and bottom walls of said channel members being formed with aplurality of sound inlet openings, the openings in the side and bottomwalls contiguous to each compartment being in communication therewith, aplurality of reed blocks arranged exteriorly of and along each of theside walls of said channel member, each of said reed blocks having amultiplicity of reed chambers therein, at least one reed mounted on eachof said reed chambers, each of said reed chambers being in communicationWith one oi the sound inlet openings in the side wall of said channelmember, another plurality of reed blocks arranged exteriorly of andalong the bottom walls of said channel member, each of said bottom reedblocks having a multiplicity of reed chambers, at least one reed mountedon each of the last mentioned reed chambers, each of said last namedreed chambers being in communication with the adjacent sound inletopening in the bottom of said channel member, whereby sounds generatedby a plurality of the reeds in response to action of the accordionbellows will pass into each of the compartments, and whereby diierentsounds from respective reeds entering a compartment will be mixedtherein, and a plurality of movable valves disposed on said platemember, each valve having a face portion confronting one of the soundoutlet openings in the plate member.

3. In an accordion having a plurality of vibratory reeds, a platemember' having a pluralityr of sound outlet openings, an elongatedchannelshaped housing member secured beneath said plate member, alongitudinal partition wall securedcentrally in said housing member, aplurality of spaced transverse partition walls secured in said housingmember on opposite sides of said longitudinal partition wall, dening aplurality of successive compartments on opposite sides of saidlongitudinal partition wall, each of said sound outlet openingscommunicating solely with one of said compartments, the respective wallsof said channel-shaped housing member `being formed with Va plurality ofsound inlet openings, a. plurality of said last-named openingscommunicating with each of said compartments, a plurality of reedblocks, each of said reed blocks having a multiplicity of reed chamberstherein, at least one reed mounted on each of said reed chambers, one ofsaid reed chambers communicating with each of said sound inlet openings,whereby sound generated by a plurality of the reeds in response toaction of the accordion bellows will pass into each of the compartments,and whereby diiferent sounds from respective reeds entering thecompartments will be mixed therein, and a plurality of movable valvesdisposed on said plate member, each valve having a face portionconfronting one of the sound outlet openings in the plate member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 207,906 Smith Sept. 10, 1878 419,168 Henderson Jan. 7, 18901,797,921 Nardone Mar. 24, 1931 1,825,407 Luttbeg Sept. 29, 19312,502,085 Frontalini Mar. 28, 1950

